I used to get tons of letters that said, "I'll never get to wear you," or "I'll never get married in one of your dresses," or "I'll never have an evening gown like the one I saw on the red carpet." I thought that was sad, because you give your life to this and you end up reaching very few people. So that was a major goal for me - to be able to reach and encourage more women, to encourage them to express themselves and be what they want to be.

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When you love something, every day goes by in 10 minutes.

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I've always tried to push myself technically and to push myself visually. That's been part of the journey.

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They never ask the celebrities why they don't wear their own clothes on the red carpet.

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I think fashion is intensely personal. It should be. It should give a woman a creative outlet, it should give her a little bit of an escape, and it should give her a little bit of individuality that she can add to her life. I don't mean redoing your entire closet. I mean that a great shoe or a great handbag or a great top or a great coat or jacket can change everything.

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I see myself as an arbiter of taste.

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I was struggling to find a way to make evening clothes more deconstructed. I like to think that I translated the Latin concept in a more modern way. I don't think that I was that literal.

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Success isn't about the end result; it's about what you learn along the way.

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Don't be afraid to take time to learn. It's good to work for other people. I worked for others for 20 years. They paid me to learn.

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It's a remarkable exercise to sit and look at your own work over the years.

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